US developing satellite system to track hypersonic weapons

Jul 18, 2022, 12:23 PM | Updated: 4:40 pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. will spend $1.3 billion to develop advanced satellites that will be able to better track hypersonic missile threats, the Pentagon said Monday, announcing two new contracts that will put the detection and tracking systems in orbit by 2025.

Derek Tournear, director of the Space Development Agency, said the contracts will provide 28 satellites, as the U.S. moves to greatly expand and enhance its ability to counter increasing threats from Russia and China.

Both countries have been making strides in their development of hypersonic missiles, which are more difficult to track and shoot down because they maneuver more in flight than conventional weapons that travel in predictable paths. Last year China tested what U.S. officials said was a hypersonic missile, and Russia has used the weapons in strikes during the war in Ukraine.

“Russia and China have been developing and testing hypersonic glide vehicles — these advanced missiles that are extremely maneuverable,” Tournear told Pentagon reporters Monday. “These satellites are specifically designed to go after that next generation version of threats out there so that we can detect and track these hypersonic maneuvering vehicles and predict their impact point.”

Additional funding for the program was provided by Congress specifically in response to concerns in the Indo-Pacific region, in response to China’s rapidly progressing military development.

Hypersonic weapons are defined as anything traveling beyond Mach 5, or five times faster than the speed of sound. That’s about 3,800 mph (6,100 kph). Intercontinental ballistic missiles far exceed that threshold but travel in a predictable path, making it possible to intercept them.

Historically, Tournear said, the U.S. has not flown satellites that were designed to detect and go after such maneuverable hypersonic weapons. Currently, he said, “we have limited capability to do that tracking aspect.” He added, however, that “clearly we don’t have zero capability to do tracking.”

The new satellites, he said, will enable the U.S. to detect the launch, follow the hypersonic missile as it changes course, calculate where it is heading and provide that data to forces who can launch interceptors.

The contracts were awarded to teams led by L3Harris Technologies, Inc. of Melbourne, Fla., and Northrop Grumman Strategic Space Systems of Redondo Beach, Calif. L3Harris will produce 14 satellites at a cost of about $700 million, and Northrop will produce 14 at a cost of about $617 million. The total cost of the program, including the launches and ground control and support, will be about $2.5 billion.

Tournear said the program represents a shift for the U.S. toward a larger, overlapping system of satellites. Rather than relying on larger, more expensive satellites that stay in orbit for 15 or more years, the U.S. will have a greater number of cheaper satellites that would be replaced about every five years.

One set, he said, would be at a lower orbit of about 1,000 kilometers, and a second set would be at a medium orbit of about 10,000-20,000 kilometers, providing a more resilient presence. He said the first 28 satellites would likely be followed by a second group of about 54.

Earlier this year, the United States, United Kingdom and Australia announced that they will work together to develop hypersonic missiles. The April announcement came amid growing concerns about China’s escalating military assertiveness in the Pacific. Last October, U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed that China had conducted a test of a hypersonic weapon, calling it a “very significant event” that was “very concerning.”

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

FILE - Gabby Petito's mother Nichole Schmidt, wipes a tear from her face during a news conference o...

Associated Press

Mother of man who killed Gabby Petito said in letter she would help son ‘dispose of a body’

The mother of the man who killed Gabby Petito told her son in an undated letter that she would “dispose of a body” if needed because she loved him so much, according to copies of the note shared publicly for the first time this week by attorneys for Petito's parents.

2 days ago

A member of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, places flags in front of e...

Associated Press

5 things to know about Memorial Day including its controversies

Memorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the nation’s fallen service members, but it’s come to anchor the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend of discounts on anything from mattresses to lawn mowers.

2 days ago

FILE - This artist sketch depicts the trial of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes, left, as he test...

Associated Press

Officers describe chaos, fear on Jan. 6 as judge weighs prison time for Oath Keepers’ Rhodes

Police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and public servants who fled the mob's attack told a judge on Wednesday that they are still haunted by what they endured, as the judge prepares to hand down sentences in a landmark Capitol riot case.

3 days ago

Pride month merchandise is displayed at the front of a Target store in Hackensack, N.J., Wednesday,...

Associated Press

Target on the defensive after removing LGBTQ+-themed products

Target once distinguished itself as being boldly supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.

4 days ago

(Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)...

Associated Press

Former Arizona television journalist announces bid for Schweikert’s US House seat

A former Phoenix television journalist announced her candidacy Wednesday for the congressional seat currently held by seven-term Republican Rep. David Schweikert.

4 days ago

Tortoise by Henry Davis earned an honorable mention in the "Adventures in Nature” student photo c...

Associated Press

When you adopt a desert tortoise, prepare for a surprisingly social and zippy pet

They’re not fluffy, they don’t play fetch and they certainly don’t roll over. But there is such a thing as a lap tortoise.

5 days ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

...

Desert Institute for Spine Care

Spinal fusion surgery has come a long way, despite misconceptions

As Dr. Justin Field of the Desert Institute for Spine Care explained, “we've come a long way over the last couple of decades.”

...

re:vitalize

Why drug-free weight loss still matters

Wanting to lose weight is a common goal for many people as they progress throughout life, but choosing between a holistic approach or to take medicine can be a tough decision.

US developing satellite system to track hypersonic weapons